Gospel's Parisian Resonance: A Narrative Shift from American Export to Global Expression
CBS News recently aired a segment observing the growing popularity of gospel music in France, particularly in Paris. The report, timed for Easter Sunday, depicts Barry Petersen exploring how this musical genre, described as having its roots among America's enslaved population, is now resonating with audiences and religious communities across the French capital. The piece presents this phenomenon
as a largely positive cultural exchange, a vibrant new expression thriving in a European setting. What CBS News omits from its cheerful broadcast is a critical framing of how cultural forms, particularly those originating from oppressed communities, are often re-contextualized and commercialized far from their origins. While acknowledging gospel's connection to enslaved people in America, the
report neglects to draw a more fundamental parallel between the historical exploitation of African and African-American cultural production by dominant Western powers and the current trend. It carefully avoids any discussion of France's own colonial past in Africa and the Caribbean, a history intrinsically linked to the very conditions that gave rise to spirituals and gospel music. This omission
transforms a complex cultural phenomenon into a simple, feel-good story, devoid of its broader geopolitical and historical implications. The erasure of colonial context is particularly striking considering France's extensive artistic and cultural appropriations throughout its imperial history. For instance, the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition, which drew 34 million visitors, famously showcased